Hi again,
Your post inspired me a lot about track plan design and the nightmare it could be.
I invite you to read my post about "Tracks Elements" I just finish to publish on the forum.
I have some lack in track design and here in Europe design of track plan is not " a great cup of tea"
My own track plan had often turned to a nightmare, I greatly admit it.
"Tracks elements" had been often my answer to this lack and poor inspiration about track design.
Marc
wm3798I think this is the final plan...
It looks like an elegant solution that combines sound engineering with good stagecraft. I think this will be a layout extension/change that will both look good and work well.
Bravo!
Smile, Stein
Thanks, Ulrich and Marc!
Yes, it is indeed N scale. It's been a labor of love for many years.
Lee
Route of the Alpha Jets www.wmrywesternlines.net
Hi Lee,
I like your home page!
Is this really N scale? Unbelievable!
I have take a look at your plan and study it during an half hour, because I find it very interesting whith all the connections between main and secondary track.
You know I am in a planning stage for the expand of my layout and the exchange between my main line and secondary track or local are a primary goal.
A main whithout exchange and local have no chance to "survive" so it's important to planning whith crossover and siding possible exchange between local or industry.
As You mentionned on your blog it's also important to plan the place and how a train can move on the main whithout making obstructive move and switching.
The basis idea of my freelance Appalachian layout plan is a big mainline going in the hills trough different mine town. A second line will snake along the Maclau River with also some mine village.
The two lines will be connected here and there by local which run in hard country to reach lost village in the hills and small local industry; it will also act as the connecting rail in some bigger village.
The hills main will be connected at the end of his trip by a good sized branchline in a medium town.
The hills main line will be double tracked whith a town loop at the end and come back on his way around the room.
Now because I am sure of the main track, if Ican say, I just put track village here an there on the main. Some design of these track arrangements are my own; some are inspired by reality or design I like from existing layout. Always study plan of the real thing or of models one, they can give you a lot of inspiration
I have the flavor for a point to point design for the branchline, which run his own trains and will be operated whith his own rule and schedule and made exchange trains at the end of the hills main line. It give me also the opportunity to model some wood and logging industry.( may be a connection whith the Laurel valley.....Who's know!....I will ask you how or companies could merged....another good planning project and design....)
Hills main line and River second line will mix togheter at the big yard which I am in the way to build.
The River secondary line will be a one track point to point design, may be whith a return loop at the end, but I am not sure for now. With many siding and some exchange track this single track line will be a very buzy track to operate; a real challenge.
My existing Port will be a passing point for the Hills main on its return, before passing trough town and reach the yard. Port will be also act as a destination for cars issuing from the yard and an exchange between River line and Hills line. Many local job and switching to do between these two mix place....I like that.
The challenge is to avoid to overhelm the scenery whith track and give some realism in the connecting villages. Nscale give the chance to obtain this.
I don't know if you have seen my general sketch design but this is the profile of the future layout.
The layout will be construct in an nearly 15x8 meters space; mainline run will be an around 115 meters.
Early design where for a smaller room space, but because of broader curves use and access the final design will take this space. The layout room is somewhat expandable because build in an old work house attached to the house. The rest of the workhouse will be a two cars garage, a small loundge crew ,my model workshop and a general purpose room. Unfortunately this work house need lot of repairs in the roof and insulation.
That means lot of preparation work for train room and the rest of the house, so I hope to begun work on the railroad at the end of this year. I will also open a site and a blog devoted to the layout construction at this time.
This time work in the house and preparation of the layout room, give me the opportunity to carefuly plan; I hope; everything.
I need to scan some finished parts of the plan to publish on the forum; I will do it in the coming days.
Good weekend.
WM Western Lines Operations Projects
I think this is the final plan...Lee